The barbarians are at the gates. The thunder of battle echoes throughout the city. Women and children unable to flee face the inevitable slaughter. Capable allies observe from afar, apparently unwilling to prevent the impending destruction. Hopeless, a soldier turns to his companions and asks, “So much death... what can men do against such reckless hate?” The above scene could easily be a description of the current situation in the Syrian border town of Kobani. Kurdish fighters are battling for their lives against the Islamic State with little hope for any meaningful military aid from coalition forces. Instead, the above scene is from Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel, The Two Towers, second in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It describes the hopelessness felt by King Théoden as he laments what appears to be the inevitable slaughter of his people at the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron -- the evil antagonist in...(Read Full Article)